IEEE Newsletter - University of Peradeniya Volume 2 (March 2019) | Page 28

T
he purpose of this award is to recognize annually, in each region of the IEEE, the student most
responsible for an extraordinary accomplishment associated with student ac vi es. The value of a
pa ern of dedicated, ongoing service to a branch is certainly recognized. However, this award is
designed to reward a par cular event or product of IEEE ac vi es.
The student most responsible for a worthy accomplishment may be nominated by a Branch Counselor, Sec on
Chair, or Sec on SAC Chair. The nominator(s) must complete a nomina on form and forward it to the Regional
SAC Chair. Nominees must be student members of the IEEE at the me of the accomplishment. The
incumbent Regional Student Representa ve is ineligible.
What is so special in
What is Larry K. Wilson Regional
Student Ac vi es Award?
2018?
Former President of the IEEE
Student Branch of University of
Peradeniya Mr.Yasitha Harshanath
was awarded the Larry K. Wilson
Regional Student Ac vi es Award
in 2018 for his commitment and
interference in the student branch
and also at the Sri Lanka sec onal
level. There were a lot of
successful student ac vi es
conducted by the student branch
commi ee, under the leadership
of Mr. Yasitha and the events were
highly appreciated by the students
and the university staff.
Yasitha was part of the 3-member
team that created the website for
which the IEEE Student Branch of
University of Peradeniya won the IEEE MGA Award for the best Student Branch Website. As the vice chairman of
the student branch, he ini ated the process and served as the content manager of the website. He was the co-
chairman of the 5th IEEE SL SYW Congress and lead it to a massive success with 200+ delegates and 20+
speakers. It was indeed the most successful SYW Congress in the history of the IEEE Sri Lanka Sec on. During
Yasitha's SSR term, he did a significant amount of work for student ac vi es in Sri Lanka.
One of the major accomplishments was securing the two R10 funded projects for the IEEE Sri Lanka
sec on. Yasitha made a significant contribu on towards both the projects, the IEEE Technology Awareness
Program(TAP) and the IEEE Educa onal Ac vi es Support project. Yasitha was one of the people who were keen
on submi ng a proposal and believed that the sec onal SAC had the poten al to grab these funds.
Yasitha was selected for the IEEE MGA SSR Sub Team 2017 which was lead by Ms. Shreyna Sco , Student Branch
Development Specialist of IEEE MGA. It was the commi ee that developed a strategic plan to develop the
student branches of all IEEE Regions and he has also served as the Student Branch Coordinator for the IEEE
Region 10 SAC team in the year 2016.
Yasitha played a major role in the student branch ac vi es and thus he was appointed as the vice
chairman for the year 2016. He has been an ac ve volunteer since April 2015. Since then, he has been a
member of the organizing commi ees in all the events carried out by the student branch including the 4th
Student/YP/WIE Congress in the sec on. Considering the dedica on and passion Yasitha has shown as a
volunteer for IEEE, he was promoted to the posi on of chairman of the IEEE Student Branch of University of
Peradeniya for the year 2017.
He was among the three members who par cipated in the Sec ons Congress 2017 held in Sydney, Australia. He
was the Sec onal Student Representa ve, while the other two members were the Chair-Elect of the sec on and
the Assistant Secretary.
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IEEE Newsletter University of Peradeniya